


I Will Always Be Here (Beside You)

by CookieMonster_24



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Tommy Merlyn is Alive, the island happened
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2018-12-08 19:53:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11653596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CookieMonster_24/pseuds/CookieMonster_24
Summary: Oliver had always thought that the 5 years away from Starling City were harder on him than anyone else. And in a way, he was right.They weren’t the ones fighting for life and death, they weren’t the ones making choices that would result in someone dying, and they weren’t the ones suffering through torture.But now he understood.Waiting, for years while unsure if the person you’re waiting for is even alive, that was a whole new level of hell.He still remembered the last time he saw her. It was when she was leaving the Foundry (or Arrow Cave as she liked to call it), and Oliver had a rather bad day, letting the target get away or risk being caught by the police. She had cupped his face in her hand, offered him a small smile before pecking him on the lips and waving goodbye.It was just like any other day, watching her small form leave up the metal stairs, her crimson coat swaying as her heels clicked against the metal. He should have stopped her. Stalled her, held on to her. Anything to keep her from leaving.But he didn’t, and he regrets it to this day.He let Felicity be kidnapped, and he won't stop until she's back, safe and sound in his arms.





	1. Chapter 1: Missing In Action (MIA)

**Author's Note:**

> So guys, my second Arrow Fanfiction, and this idea hit me last night when I was falling asleep and who am I to decide if a plot can work or not so here it is, in all its glory.  
> I hope that you guys enjoy it and please leave a comment, all suggestions are welcome!!
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter 1 : Missing In Action

Oliver had always thought that the 5 years away from Starling City were harder on him than anyone else. And in a way, he was right.

They weren’t the ones fighting for life and death, they weren’t the ones making choices that would result in someone dying, and they weren’t the ones suffering through torture.

But now he understood.

Waiting, for years while unsure if the person you’re waiting for is even alive, that was a whole new level of hell. 

He still remembered the last time he saw her. It was when she was leaving the Foundry (or Arrow Cave as she liked to call it), and Oliver had a rather bad day, letting the target get away or risk being caught by the police. She had cupped his face in her hand, offered him a small smile before pecking him on the lips and waving goodbye.

It was just like any other day, watching her small form leave up the metal stairs, her crimson coat swaying as her heels clicked against the metal. He should have stopped her. Stalled her, held on to her. Anything to keep her from leaving.

But he didn’t, and he regrets it to this day.

It was minutes later when the alarm sounded, the proximity alarm Felicity had set up around the premises to alert them to unwanted presences outside of club hours. 

The shrill ringing sounded in his head, and he recalled, relived that moment of sheer panic as he tore through the doors, rushing out to see her being pulled into a white van, bright crimson coat ripped into shreds lying on the gravel.

His body had reacted instantly, running forward as fast as he could, shouting her name. The van drove off, but he didn’t stop running, not until his muscles had given out under him, leaving him crumpled on the road as he watched white disappear down the street.

He wasn’t good enough to protect her. 

The next few days were pure hell. All his energy was put into finding Felicity, he didn’t let go of anything, going through the security footage from all over the city, scrubbing it minute by minute but it came empty. 

Oliver couldn’t be The Hood anymore. Every time he looked at the empty lair, the chair where she would always be, bright red lips chewing on a pen cap, brightly coloured nails typing furiously on the keyboard.

It was too many reminders. Far too many.

So John took over, with his past record, John rarely needed to fire a single arrow to scare the targets into submission. 

Oliver had spent all his time becoming the man Felicity saw him to be. The man he knew he wasn’t. He threw himself into the business, spending any free time he had in the gym, to become stronger, better. He needed power to find Felicity, needed strength to protect her, and he would do it. Any means necessary, he would find her again, and this time, he would never lose her.

A missing person report was filed and it was a month later when it came up on the news. 

Someone had admitted to the kidnapping. 

The underling of one of The Hood’s previous targets. The man was a part of this huge ring of human smuggling, with the front of an international shipping company. The Hood simply exposed the truth and the law took care of the rest. 

Apparently his followers weren’t so happy that their boss was arrested and subsequently thrown into jail.

They had hacked into the mainframe, somehow bypassing Felicity’s painstakingly coded firewall and found out the truth. 

Oliver had been there, along with Diggle and Thea as the group of low-lives were dragged up the courtroom stairs. They had been there when the group was convicted. The three of them were there when the group was dragged into police cars.

But seeing them without even a hint of remorse in their eyes had him seething in anger. His rage had swallowed him whole, and his muscles moved instinctively. He had opened the door to the police car, dragged out the ring-leader and proceeded to bash his face in. 

The media had a field-day with that, bright lights flashing everywhere as Digg tried to limit the damage but it was too late.

Not that Oliver regretted a minute of it. He had enjoyed it, seeing the fear in the other man’s eyes as his fist connected with his face again and again. Feeling the bone of his nose crack and shatter under the force of his blows. 

Red stained the collar of his white shirt, crimson like the coat she had worn when she was taken away from him. Torn away brutally, leaving an open would that couldn’t heal. Wouldn’t. Not until she was found and safe again, in his arms where he will never let her leave.

He had been taken in, Detective Lance giving him a short lecture on his behavior but Oliver didn’t miss the fact that he wasn’t being reprimanded for punching the man, just for doing it in front of the media.

Moira Queen had similarly given him a disapproving look, but patted him on the back as he made his way past her, as if saying ‘Good Job’, before she turned to talk to Detective Lance about any charges against him. There were none.

Speedy had brought him a change of clothes, and a pack of wet-wipes to clean where the blood had splattered on his face and stained his knuckles. He offered her a small smile before turning to change.

He was about to leave the police station when he saw it. A picture of her. Felicity, bright blonde hair and shiny red lips, eyes crinkled in laughter.

It was the ‘Missing Persons’ board, with images of them pinned onto the corkboard. 

His fingers trembled as he reached out to touch the picture, and his eyes watered. How he had missed her smile, missed her voice, her babbling which would almost always end in an innuendo of some sort and a fierce blush covering her cheeks.

 

He missed her. So much that it hurt.

And he regretted not saying this to her sooner, not telling her the first time he had laid eyes on her at her cubicle, where she was chewing on her red pen.

‘I love you.’ He whispered softly to the picture, fingertips stilling over her lips. How he wished he could see her reaction, see her blush, or laugh or smile. Anything.

He just wanted to see her again.

Small arms dragged him away from the picture, out onto the streets where the paparazzi were crowded outside, cameras stuffed in his face and questions thrown at him from all directions.

He simply kept his eyes down, waling the straight line to the car he knew was waiting for him.

‘Vultures, they are.’ He heard Speedy mutter when the door closed and he couldn’t stop the choked groan that escaped his tightly pressed lips. That was what she had said, when she saw the reporters the first time. It was about a year after they had met, a few months into the whole Hood situation.

They had played ‘First Impressions’ to pass the time while waiting for Felicity’s search program to finish running.

Maybe it was the bottle of whiskey he had drunk beforehand or the sweet way she had asked him, batting her blue eyes and pouting her lower lip out in a way that made him want to bite it, that made him agree to play.

Felicity had gone first, commenting on the whole media fiasco that had occurred when he just returned to Starling City.

I mean could you blame them? A billionaire play-boy returning alive after his ship had crashed five years ago sounded like a good head-line even to him. 

‘They are all like vultures, waiting for any opportunity to get a scrap of meat.’ She shook her head, taking a long chug from the bottle of red wine he had swiped from the bar. Tommy wouldn’t mind one or two missing bottles, I mean he was the owner, was he not?

It was Oliver’s turn to talk, and he was mustering all the courage he had, thinking it was time to tell Felicity how he felt when the beeping of the computer ruined it all.

Felicity swung back to the desk, fingers flying over the keyboard with such speed it was terrifying. Oliver doubted he could fire arrows at half that speed.

‘I got him! He’s at the port, if you go now, you might be able to get him before he leaves!’

Oliver was up and gearing himself before she had even finished that sentence. 

How he had wished that search could have ended just a minute later, what could have become between the two of them.

Now the chance was lost, and god knows if it’ll ever come again.

Oliver wrapped his ands aver his face, covering the small sobs that threatened to bubble over, and he shut his eyes to keep the tears in. It never helped anyone to cry, and it wouldn’t help him now. 

The car had glided to a stop a few minutes later, and the door opened to reveal the mansion doors. Oliver stepped out of the car, through the heavy oaken doors to his home and stopped dead in his tracks. 

He thought he saw her. Saw her blonde locks flowing behind her, blown by a breeze he couldn’t feel. He saw he lips curve into a bright smile, eyes wide with laughter. 

He had thought he saw her when he blinked and she was gone, darkness in her place.

‘Ollie?’ Thea placed her hand on his arm, which was stretched out in front of him, where he had tried to reach her. 

‘I’m fine.’ He breathed out, turning and walking up the stairs to his room.

But he wasn’t fine, not until she came home. She was his other half, what made him whole and he wouldn’t stop trying to find her. Not until his last breath had left his lungs would he ever give up on her.

Never.

…  
6 Years Later  
…

Oliver tugged at his tie. It was too tight. 

Moira sent him a warning look and he put his hand back on his lap, where it had been for the past hour. This board meeting was utterly useless and mind-numbingly boring. 

He understood the importance of the ‘Applied Science Division’ of Queen Consolidated, and he understood why he, the up-and-coming CEO of the company needed to be here. But what he didn’t understand was that if all he was supposed to do at this meeting was to sign the contract, why did he have to sit through 5 presentations with varying levels of boring to do it?

His mother, being as intelligent as she was, had anticipated his attempt to escape his duties and had shown up to his office to get him to attend the meeting. God that woman was smart.

His phone buzzed, clattering on the table as it desperately tried to get not only his attention, but the attention of the whole room. And that it did.

\- THEA QUEEN INCOMING -

Large words had flashed across the screen and while Oliver knew it was proper professional etiquette to reject the call, and return to the meeting but he was feeling rather…unprofessional today.

He excused himself with a short nod and bow, avoiding the murderous glare that Moira was sending him and stood outside the conference room, pressing the little green button on the screen.

‘You might have just saved me from death by boredom, Speedy.’ He jested, bringing the phone up to his ear.

‘Ollie.’ The tone in her voice was serious and all playfulness he had seconds ago instantly evaporated.

‘What’s wrong? Are you alright? Are you hurt?’ His brow furrowed when his questions were met with silence. His gut churned as his mind supplied all types of gruesome scenarios until Thea spoke again.

‘She’s back, Ollie.’

Blue eyes widened. No way. After so many years. His mind screamed at him to reject the idea, shouted at him, telling him that this was all a dream. It wasn’t real.

‘Speedy, if this is a joke-‘

‘Ollie. She’s alive. Felicity’s alive.’

He swallowed the lump in his throat and willed his voice not to quiver as he spoke again.

‘Where?’ he had croaked out, his emotions seemed to surge, increasing exponentially as he repeated that sentence in his head over and over, like a mantra.

She’s alive. Felicity’s alive.

‘At Starling General, I’m headed there now. Hurry Ollie.’ He ended the call abruptly, dashing for the door to the elevators. He slammed the button so hard he was afraid it would sink in and not pop back out and he watched, feeling he like he was going to leap out of his skin as the numbers slowly increased.

He felt giddy, his face hot and fingers tingling as he kept thinking about when he had just heard. It was true. For years he had believed that she was alive, always, every morning when he awoke, every night before he fell asleep. Now it was really true. 

She was finally back.

‘Oliver? Where are you going? The meeting isn’t over yet-‘Moira Queen had followed after him, her disapproval evident in her voice.

‘Mom. Felicity’s alive.’ 

‘Sweetie, I know you miss her but it’s been 6 years-‘She had put her hands on his cheek, gaze softening and Oliver felt just a little bit of frustration rear its ugly head.

He wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulling it down as he looked at her with all seriousness and repeated his sentence.

‘She’s alive, Mom. And she’s back. In Starling City.’

The lift dinged and he quickly stepped into its open doors, watching the disbelief on his mother’s face as the doors slid shut.

Everything after that was a blur of frustration and pent-up anticipation. 6 years he has waited for this day. 6 years he has spent, endlessly hoping for her to come back. And here she was. Back again.

He heard his own gruff voice telling Diggle to floor it, his eyes taking in the shock and joy on the man’s face as he explained the situation, and the car surged forward, driving past other vehicles that expressed their displeasure at their speed through incessant honking.

He barely waited for the car to come to a complete stop before he exited the vehicle, sprinting to the automatic glass doors of the hospital. The smell of disinfectant hit him in the nose and he sprinted towards the information counter, talking so fast and with such force the poor clerk had nearly jumped in shock. 

The moment he had gotten the room number, he was like a missile, going straight to its target. He climbed up the stairs, all the way to the fifth floor, ignoring the burn in his legs as he ran past the rooms until he found it.

Room 506. 

A part of him found humor in the number. He was gone for 5 years whereas she was gone for 6, but he couldn’t find the motivation in him to laugh at the moment. All he wanted to do was to see her.

He needed to see her.

The door slid open, revealing Thea, with tears running down her eyes. He stepped to enter the room but her small frame pushed him out, closing the door behind her.

‘What the hell, Speedy-‘He had protested, his hand reaching for the handle when Thea pulled him back to the wall of the corridor.

‘Speedy, now’s not the time to play this. I want to see her- Hell, I need to see her-‘He turned to look at his younger sister, and then he really looked at her.

Those tears weren’t happy tears. Those eyes didn’t look like someone who just got their friend back after 6 years. Those were the eyes of someone who just lost something.

‘Ollie, I need you to prepare yourself. She’s not the same Felicity we knew, Oliver. She’s...She’s-‘The younger Queen had broken down into tears, and Oliver held her close to his chest. 

He should know this better than anyone else. Those 6 years, anything could have happened. Felicity would not be the same, she would never be the same.

H felt dread pool in his stomach, as he recalled his 5 years alone. What had Felicity gone through in her time away? Did she go through the same thing he did?

His heart clenched. But he still needed to see her. No matter what happened to her, what she went through, what mattered was that she was safe and home now. She had returned to him.

‘I need to see her, Speedy.’ He had whispered into her hair, stroking it softly until she released her hold on his arm. He turned her over to Roy, who had been standing solemnly at the corner of the door, watching them.

‘Take care of her.’ Oliver had ordered, watching the younger male nod slightly had lead Thea to the chairs along the walls of the corridors.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and opened the door. Soft beeping filled his ears and he heard gentle breathing echo in the empty room. The sun was shining brightly outside the wide windows but the curtains were drawn, casting the entire room in a dim lighting, making it look almost hazy.

He rounded the corner, heels of his dress shoes clicking on the cool linoleum on the hospital floor. His breath caught in his throat when he saw blonde locks fanned out across the pillow, and he dared a step forward, to look at her.

His eyes instantly teared up as he recognized her. Her delicate features were almost the same as before she left, muscles relaxed in her sleep. His fingers reached forward, wanting to touch her, feel her warmth. Anything to assure him that she’s alive.

The tips of his calloused fingertips ghost across her cheeks and instantly blue eyes snapped open. Strong fingers wrapped around his wrist, holding him in vice grip and almost instantly, she had bent his wrist backwards, making him twist his body awkwardly to avoid his wrist snapping.

He looked into her eyes and saw the amount of panic in them, fear for her life. He knew that look, because it was once on his face as well.

Thea was right, the Felicity that was taken away, she was never coming back. This Felicity that had returned was different. But Oliver loved them both.

Always have and always will.


	2. Lost Property

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so, 2017 is coming to an end, and I managed to get this out somewhat in time, so please enjoy and for those who left comments, thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I promise I'll have more coming out in the next year.  
> Happy New Year everyone!

Chapter 2: Lost Property

…

The air in the hospital room seemed to have frozen over, and time stopped as they looked at each other. Neither of them seemed to move, or even want to move, so there they were, with Felicity gripping Oliver’s wrist.

A light cough at the door broke apart their moment, and Oliver turned to glance at whoever was at the door, feeling the frustration from earlier with his mother making another appearance.

His mind knew that this feeling was illogical, but around Felicity, he was never rational, nor did he want to be. A part of him had treasured the feeling that only Felicity could do this to him, make him believe in the impossible.

Diggle coughed again, leaning at the doorframe and Oliver could see the creases on his shirt collar from where his tie had been pulled roughly and the first button open. John was just an anxious to see her.

Turning his head back to the blue eyes that were filled with an emotion that made him want to hug her close, he spoke with his voice sounding raw.

‘We’ve missed you, Felicity.’

_I’ve missed you._

Diggle moved to the other side of the bed, placing his hand over Felicity’s smaller, paler ones, carefully avoiding jostling the IV tube in her arm.

He sent a re-assuring smile at her and Oliver watched as tears spilled from her eyes, tumbling her cheeks to land on her hospital gown.

Oliver reached forward, placing his free hand on Felicity’s cheek, heart-warming slightly when she leaned into his touch. Just like 6 years ago.

Her grip around his wrist softened and Oliver took her smaller hand into his, holding it safe in his calloused fingers.

He wiped at her tears, bringing their linked hands up to his face and planting a soft kiss to her fingers. He placed small kisses down them, to the inside of her wrist where he lingered, feeling the trembling of her skin, the warmth radiating and the constant pulsing of her blood.

She was alive. His Felicity was alive.

They spent ages like that, unmoving as Felicity’s own soft sobs resided into hitched breathing.

Oliver watched as her clear blue eyes slowly become covered by heavy eyelids and he supported her head as he watched her doze off. Diggle motioned at his phone, probably an incoming message, and left the room after Oliver gave him a curt nod.

Slowly, as gently as he could, Oliver rested her head on the side, facing him as he mentally mapped her features, burning them into his memory. He came too close to losing her, never again.

He placed his forehead on hers, bringing their faces closer, and lips inches away from hers. His breath tickled against her nose and he watched it twitch, her face scrunching up slightly before even-ing out.

‘Missed you.’ Oliver had whispered, clenching her hand close to his heart, feeling her warm exhale on his skin.

_I love you._

He had yearned to say, but held back. Too soon. She had just returned, he’d have all the time in the world to say it now that she was back.

He watched as her lips twitched, almost like she was about to smile, and he grinned. It’s been so long since he had felt like this, this happiness that seemed to flow endlessly from the depths of his heart, warming him up.

He closed his eyes, letting nothing but the soft beeping and the rhythm of Felicity’s breathing lull him into sleep, where he dreamt of nobody and nothing else but a certain blonde who had finally returned.

Finally.

…

Felicity opened her eyes, fighting against her instinct of flinching at the bright overhead light shining into her eyes. Light was good. Light showed her things, kept her from getting hurt.

A warm weight enclosing her right hand shifted, letting lose a soft snore. Felicity tilted her head, ignoring the ache and burn of her muscles stretching and she instantly felt her wariness and fear melt away at the sight of a familiar crop of short brown hair.

The faint scrape of his stubble on the inside of her wrist, the feeling of his warm exhale dancing across her skin, causing goose-bumps.

‘Felicity...’ Oliver had mumbled in his slumber, rolling his head to the side. Felicity acted quickly, shooting her free hand out to keep Oliver from falling off his chair.

His bright blue eyes had sleepily opened, as her hand contacted his face, his stubble prickling against her skin. He pressed her hand firmly against his face, giving her a sleepy smile.

‘Ahem.’

Both heads turned quickly to the door, with Oliver’s neck cracking slightly after being in an uncomfortable position for god knows how long.

‘Should I come back later?’ Diggle had stated dryly, raising an eyebrow at their hands which were still intertwined.

Oliver hadn’t been at all pleased with this disturbance, releasing her hands after yet another soft kiss to her wrists, right above her pulse points and proceeding to wipe all the sleep out of his eyes.

Diggle walked in and placed a small take-away bag on the plastic table attached to her hospital bed.

‘Brought you some chicken soup that Lyla made, she can’t wait to see you again, Felicity.’ Diggle offered her a warm smile, one that Felicity couldn’t help but want to return. But she couldn’t.

The room fell into a somewhat awkward silence, but it was comfortable. Felicity didn’t like noise anymore. Noise was like darkness, cloaking everything, masking all the sharp points of blades, the glimmer of a gun’s barrel.

Silence was good.

…

It was two days later that Oliver finally managed to get the hospital staff to believe that Felicity was well enough to leave. He knew better than anyone that after so long away, the last thing he wanted was to spend another day in a white room with nothing but beeping all day long. They were bringing Felicity home.

Thea had managed to crack Felicity’s shell, getting the blonde to curve her lips slightly in a smile looking at his younger sister talking so animatedly. He didn’t miss how Thea’s own eyes would seem to light up whenever she mentioned ‘what Roy did yesterday’ and ‘what Roy had said earlier’, basically anything with ‘Roy’ in it.

Seems like over-protective big-brother Oliver was due to make his appearance again soon.

But that didn’t matter for now, now what was most important was that Felicity was leaving the hospital ward, to live in their mansion. Sure, the Queen mansion had way, way too many empty guest rooms, and Oliver had asked Moira is she could simply stay in one of them. After all, with her gone for 6 years, her old apartment had long been rented out to a new tenant.

Not that Oliver minded the fact that Felicity will just be a couple doors down now with this new arrangement. Oliver was the exact opposite of that.

He stood at the side-lines while Thea carefully guided Felicity to the side of the bed, gently placing her feet on the floor. Felicity’s grip on Thea’s arms seemed to tighten, judging by the whitening of her knuckles as she tested her weight.

Oliver’s instincts kicked in just in time to catch her before she fell, dragging Thea down with her. Warm hands wrapped around a slender waist, using his own body to slide under her and break her fall.

He watched Felicity’s face seem to flinch when his hands made contact with her body, and she had arched away, seemingly avoiding his touch.

He instead clenched his hand into a fist and placed it behind her waist, pushing her back upright. The blonde hadn’t said anything but the appreciative glance she gave him for just a split second did the trick just fine.

It was a tedious 10 minutes, with every step accompanied by a long pause for Felicity to get used to supporting her own weight again after being bed bound for two whole days.

At least that was the cover Oliver had made for Felicity, to explain her sudden loss of cognitive function. Oliver had glanced over the medical report the doctor had provided, things were bad.

From the looks of it, Felicity had been starved for so long her muscles had started to degrade, not to mention the abuse her body went through. Sure, Oliver Queen was no medical expert but that didn’t mean he didn’t understand some basic complex words like ‘malnutrition’ and ‘severe hypoglycaemia’.

The doctor was paid handsomely, courtesy of Oliver’s insanely large bank account, to keep his mouth shut about anything related to Felicity, nobody needed to know about this. Especially not Thea.

The entire trip from the hospital to the Queen Mansion was surprisingly smooth, the paparazzi hustled outside the hospital had just wanted pictures of Oliver and Thea, not so much of Felicity and they had chosen to move during the hottest time of day, where they would be safe in the comfort of the luxurious air-conditioned limousine Oliver had gotten for this occasion and that the streets would be clear.

Raisa had welcomed Felicity with a more than open embrace, nearly engulfing Felicity’s small frame in a large bear hug before complaining that she was too skinny.

Felicity was instantly right in line for a long barrage of questions about her favourite foods, any allergies she had, anything she really wanted to eat right now, what she wanted for dinner and more of the sort while Thea just stood at the side, smiling at the Russian woman’s form of showing care.

Oliver would have smiled and joined Thea if not for the fact that he noticed Felicity starting to freak out. It was all subtle, aiming herself with her back facing the open doorway, glancing around for any open escape routes, hands positioned in front h=of her, almost as if she was ready to fight off any impending threats.

‘Raisa, I think Felicity is probably tired after everything today, so how about I show her to her room and let her sleep?’ Oliver cut in smoothly, positioning himself behind the blonde and wrapping an arm around her.

He had meant for the touch to be comforting but it had seemed to have the opposite effect when Felicity seemed to shrink even further, nearly bolting up the stairs after Thea had gestured for her to follow.

  Oliver just stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching the blonde head up. She was a ghost of her past self.

Oliver could just see the old Felicity, hugging Raisa back, bickering playfully with Thea, somehow managing to bound up stairs even in her towering heels and still looking amazingly hot and adorable at the same time. Most importantly, the warmth that would be present in her eyes whenever she looked at him.

Oliver missed it.

‘Mr Queen.’

Oliver drew in a long breath at Diggle’s voice, steeling himself for the bad news to come because Number 1, Diggle doesn’t use his serious voice very often, and Number 2, to come and find him at the mansion despite knowing that today was Felicity’s moving in day had to mean something important.

‘What is it, Diggle?’ He had asked evenly, motioning for Raisa to leave them alone with a curt nod of his head.

‘New information had come up on Felicity’s departure recently.’

‘What is it?’

‘A rogue faction of smugglers based in China. There was a transmission sent out to ‘The Hood’ which asked for return of lost property.’

 ‘Get the car. I’ll be out in a second.’


End file.
